RING DING DONG.

My hand instinctively reaches out to slap the alarm clock's snooze button as its irritating sound echoes throughout the room, disturbing any sleep I may have been experiencing. I groan as my fingers miss the machine completely and end up knocking the lamp to the right off of the nightstand and to the floor.

Great. This is just what I needed.

With a sigh I slowly push myself up, running a hand through my hair. If there's one thing I'm certain of about myself: I am most definitely not a morning person. I throw a menacing glance towards the clock as it runs through another cycle of ear-jarring tones before rising to silence it completely. I read it slowly, at first not exactly understanding why I woke up so damn early. 

Oh.

All the memories from yesterday come rushing in and I place a hand on my forehead, as it to steady my racing mind. I get to make it up to you today, Tae. I get to tell you why...

The morning fatigue I am usually plagued with disappears with this encouraging thought and I rush towards my dresser, almost frantically pulling the drawers out of their rightful places. I hastily grab a pair of paint-splattered light wash jeans, a striped shirt, and a leather vest. I dress quickly, and with a half-hearted fix of my slightly bed-tossed hair, I open the door to the corridor.

Silence greets me as I shut the it behind me, and a slight twinge of panic sparks in my mind. I had set the alarm for as late as possible-- Onew had said they were leaving 6 sharp and I had set it for 5:45-- so I had fully expected to get a scolding from the leader. Yet, he is no where to be seen.

And neither is Taemin.

I slowly cross the hall and head towards the maknae's room, fighting back the nerves that tingle up and down my arms. "Taeminah?" I call softly, my fingers tracing the wood detailing on the door. "Are you still asleep...?"

No response.

I carefully push on the door. It swings open cautiously, but only revealing an empty room. What the hell is going on? I turn away from his unkempt bed, the sheets haphazardly tossed aside from his last sleep, and back into the corridor. It just didn't make any sense. They should be here, pacing the halls or something, until I joined them. That's how it always is...

I quickly head down the corridor, pushing back the panic that had slowly begun to rise in my throat. There was no way they could of just left... is there?

"Onew," I call, my voice rising in volume as I rush towards his door. "Onew, get up. We're going to be late, and for once, it's not going to be my fault." I shove open his door, no need to be careful when so much was at stake, and I find myself staring, almost breathless, in another desolate bedroom.

What the hell?

Anger begins to build inside of my being as I try to fully comprehend what is going on. I reach in my pocket and scramble to obtain my cell phone. I unlock it and quickly dial Onew's number-- it wasn't until then did I realize that my hands were shaking. But, there's no answer. I throw the phone to the ground in a burst of fury and it slides against the hall, smashing the screen as it does so. But, honestly, I could care less.

Onew... this was your idea. I suddenly put it together-- the fight, the argument, Taemin. The stupid leader was trying to push me away, trying to protect the poor maknae. I punch the wall to the right of me, only wishing it was the fool's ignorant face.

Who makes you his protector? What makes you think you know what's best for him? You son of a--

"Minho...?"

I glance up, my fist still pressed into the wall. I ignore the throbbing pain that now resides in my fingers as I blink away the fury in my eyes and attempt to recognize who is speaking.

It's Key.

I turn away, stuffing my hands in my pockets. I don't want to see anyone now-- unless it's Onew. Then I'd really love to see him and teach him a lesson on taking what is not rightfully yours. Of destroying hopes and dreams for your own selfish gain...

"I... um, I heard some noise. Are you... alright?" It wasn't usually like Key to be so cautious. Did I really look that terrifying? Good.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Obviously. That's why I just punched the ing wall," I spit, balling my hands into fists, only just managing to restrain myself from damaging the house anymore.

"Is this... is this about Taemin?" Even the name sends a shiver throughout my body, accompanied by the pain of that which you no longer have. But I was going to have him again. This was all going to resolved. Until Onew screwed me over--

"I know they left earlier, Onew warned me you may be like this." Key continued to speak, and his words only worsened by temper. Onew knew? Yet he still did it? That selfish son of a . I feel my body tense in response, my veins portruding out of my arm as I dig my nails into my own hand. I feel myself nearly shaking with fury now.

"I um, I don't really know what happened. Or why they left without you. Or anything, really," he says, and I can hear the nervousness in his voice as he speaks. "But, I want you to know, that no matter what happens now... we're all here for you."

I glance back at hyung, surprised by his last words. His face, portraying a sincerity that I have rarely witnessed on Key's facade, strikes me into silence. His eyes, bright and joyful orbs that are situated in his perfect face, are now wide with a desire to help, in anyway he can. A desire to assuage my anger, to fix my temper. 

"Clearly not everyone," I hiss as I turn away, my back facing him once more. "How can you hope to understand, Key? You don't know a thing, a single damn thing!" My voice rises and my hand flashes out again, connecting with the wall once more with a BANG. I can hear my hyung gasp at the sudden movement. I find myself continuing to speak, my emotions flooding out before I can stifle them.

"Onew just ing had to the save the day, right? He just had to go and find him and then think I was doing wrong and then take him from me. Take him from me. He has no right, Key. No right. Taemin is my responsiblity, not his. Taemin is mine." I move so I'm facing him again, and I can feel the tears push against my eyes. "And he thinks he can jus waltz in and snatch him from my arms. No, not everyone is here for me. Maybe you are, and Jjong, but not him. Not Onew." I spit the name out as if it were a toxin, and I feel my arm tense again, as if it was going to lash out at the wall beside me once more. I restrain myself though-- I don't want to damage the dorm anymore.

I bring myself to look at Key's face, and there's shock there. I suppose he's surprised at how much resentment now resides in my being, and perhaps he's startled at my feelings of possesion over Taemin. To them, it was simply fanservice. But they don't understand. No one does.

And how could they? How could they possibly fathom the idea of being in love with one of your own members? All the fanservice, I had thought it would simply remain that. Fanservice. Nothing more-- just simply touching him and saying those things to him because they liked it. Because they wanted it. Little did they know, I had become to like it, to want it, to even need it just as much as they.

"Minho..." I glance up at my hyung, his voice startling me out of my thoughts. I had almost forgotten he was there, standing, waiting; that still alarmed expression painted on his facade.

"I'm going out," I suddenly decide, turning away from him and towards the door.

"Minho, I--"

"Stay out of it, Key." I shout as I head towards the front door, my steps increasing in speed as I move away from him.

"Minho!"

I the door open and step outside, blinking away the harsh sunlight that washes across my face, Key's pleas echoing in my mind as I exit.

this. And with that I find myself running again, my feet pounding the pavement as I put more distance between the dorm and I. And to think things would have been better by now, that I could of simply resolved it. Then Onew had to ing get in the way.

I shake my head, pushing any thoughts from my mind, and just let myself run, my body instinctively moving with the flow, the wind. I don't want to think right now, because I know my thoughts will simply go to Onew and then to...

No. Not him, not today.

And so I don't think, at least now, and just run.